Facts

Saturday

“I laughed. I really did,” Ayers said. “Sometimes I just had to laugh.”

There was nothing funny, really, about the way Odom played, controlling much of the action at the line of scrimmage in Wofford's 20-17 win at Gibbs Stadium. But Ayers shook his head and had to chuckle in amazement.

Odom, the 5-foot-10 and 260-pound sophomore, a bowling ball of athleticism, former state champion weightlifter in high school and gymnast in his younger days, continues to astound.

“He does things that make me say, ‘How did he do that?' ” Ayers said. “He is a very gifted athlete, very blessed with talent. When you look at him, you might think, ‘I don't know. I don't think so.' But then he puts on that headgear and that jersey.

“In the Furman game, he was so disruptive it was crazy. I'm sure they were saying, ‘How do we block this guy?' He's explosive. He has a great change of direction. He does some unbelievable things. It's just cool to watch him play.”

Odom was credited with only two tackles against Furman, doubling his season total. But that doesn't begin to demonstrate his impact.

“He can create havoc in there,” Ayers said. “He got after the passer. The big thing is making quarterbacks uncomfortable. You at least have to make him move around. He created some issues. I know this: I would hate to be a quarterback with Tarek coming. He might knock me out of my shoes.”

The Terriers got their first indication of Odom's unique talents last year after a scrimmage when the freshman did a standing backflip. During practice earlier this summer, he did something else that seemed to defy logic as it relates to a man his size.

“I had fallen to the ground and was on my back. Instead of rolling over to get up, I just popped up to my feet,” Odom said. “Some of the guys, especially the freshmen, were like, ‘What?' ”

Odom first went out for football as a freshman at St. Augustine (Fla.) High School. He said he remembered the coaches lining up all the ninth-graders for a 100-yard race. The big guy, 260 pounds even back then, finished fifth. He even beat almost all of the wide receivers, running backs and defensive backs.

When he was 10, he competed in a different sport.

“My uncle was a gymnast,” Odom. “I saw him doing backflips and I wanted to do that, too.”

In his junior and senior seasons of football, Odom was all-conference and all-county. He was named All-First Coast defensive player of the year by the Florida Times-Union newspaper and county player of the year by the St. Augustine Record. He led his team to a 13-1 record as a senior by recording 99 tackles with 32 for loss of yardage and eight sacks.

And he also played fullback, rushing for 500 yards, more than eight per carry, and scoring 12 touchdowns.

In fact, Florida State coaches, thinking Odom was too small to play on the defensive line at that level, wanted him as a fullback. The Seminoles kept him on standby on signing day, just in case one of their recruits changed his mind. They ended up offering him gray-shirt status, meaning he would report the following January. He signed with the Terriers instead.

“They asked me whether I wanted to play defense or fullback,” Odom said. “But (assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jack) Teachey was really fired-up about me playing on the defensive line. I actually talked to (running backs coach) Aaron Johnson in the spring (of 2011), but I was too heavy then. And I don't think Coach Teachey would have let me go, anyway.”

<p>Wofford football head coach Mike Ayers had an interesting reaction when he sat in his office Sunday morning and watched replays of defensive end Tarek Odom in action the day before against Furman.</p><p>“I laughed. I really did,” Ayers said. “Sometimes I just had to laugh.”</p><p>There was nothing funny, really, about the way Odom played, controlling much of the action at the line of scrimmage in Wofford's 20-17 win at Gibbs Stadium. But Ayers shook his head and had to chuckle in amazement.</p><p>Odom, the 5-foot-10 and 260-pound sophomore, a bowling ball of athleticism, former state champion weightlifter in high school and gymnast in his younger days, continues to astound.</p><p>“He does things that make me say, 'How did he do that?' ” Ayers said. “He is a very gifted athlete, very blessed with talent. When you look at him, you might think, 'I don't know. I don't think so.' But then he puts on that headgear and that jersey.</p><p>“In the Furman game, he was so disruptive it was crazy. I'm sure they were saying, 'How do we block this guy?' He's explosive. He has a great change of direction. He does some unbelievable things. It's just cool to watch him play.”</p><p>Odom was credited with only two tackles against Furman, doubling his season total. But that doesn't begin to demonstrate his impact.</p><p>“He can create havoc in there,” Ayers said. “He got after the passer. The big thing is making quarterbacks uncomfortable. You at least have to make him move around. He created some issues. I know this: I would hate to be a quarterback with Tarek coming. He might knock me out of my shoes.”</p><p>The Terriers got their first indication of Odom's unique talents last year after a scrimmage when the freshman did a standing backflip. During practice earlier this summer, he did something else that seemed to defy logic as it relates to a man his size.</p><p>“I had fallen to the ground and was on my back. Instead of rolling over to get up, I just popped up to my feet,” Odom said. “Some of the guys, especially the freshmen, were like, 'What?' ”</p><p>Odom first went out for football as a freshman at St. Augustine (Fla.) High School. He said he remembered the coaches lining up all the ninth-graders for a 100-yard race. The big guy, 260 pounds even back then, finished fifth. He even beat almost all of the wide receivers, running backs and defensive backs. </p><p>When he was 10, he competed in a different sport. </p><p>“My uncle was a gymnast,” Odom. “I saw him doing backflips and I wanted to do that, too.”</p><p>In his junior and senior seasons of football, Odom was all-conference and all-county. He was named All-First Coast defensive player of the year by the Florida Times-Union newspaper and county player of the year by the St. Augustine Record. He led his team to a 13-1 record as a senior by recording 99 tackles with 32 for loss of yardage and eight sacks.</p><p>And he also played fullback, rushing for 500 yards, more than eight per carry, and scoring 12 touchdowns.</p><p>In fact, Florida State coaches, thinking Odom was too small to play on the defensive line at that level, wanted him as a fullback. The Seminoles kept him on standby on signing day, just in case one of their recruits changed his mind. They ended up offering him gray-shirt status, meaning he would report the following January. He signed with the Terriers instead.</p><p>“They asked me whether I wanted to play defense or fullback,” Odom said. “But (assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jack) Teachey was really fired-up about me playing on the defensive line. I actually talked to (running backs coach) Aaron Johnson in the spring (of 2011), but I was too heavy then. And I don't think Coach Teachey would have let me go, anyway.”</p>